


Training Wheels for the Well-Intentioned Outcast

by Sp_aceagecrystals



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hope's Peak Academy (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Emotional Support AU, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Mentions of Cancer, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, also very stream of consciousness, in the future but still, mentions of dementia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:14:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24374845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sp_aceagecrystals/pseuds/Sp_aceagecrystals
Summary: Hinata is recruited to act as a social aide for one Nagito Komaeda. He ends up a little more attached than anyone expected.
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 88





	1. The First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting off with a Hinata POV (kinda, 3rd person limited) first meeting. Komaeda wastes no time in his hope rant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! I've been writing a chatfic that takes place in this same AU for a bit, so I am happy to finally get some real writing out for it! Just a warning, this is probably going to be more a collection of non-linear drabbles than a proper fic, but there will be overarching shifts as time progresses.  
> Also, I'm giving Komaeda less superiority over non-Ultimates, partly because I'm putting more emphasis on his anxiety (so it would feel a but random), but also cause it just never really felt right for me?  
> Anyway, hope y'all enjoy!

Hinata didn’t mind being a normal student. Admittedly, being in the reserve course at Hope’s Peak Academy wasn’t exactly “normal”, but it’s not like he was an Ultimate or anything. He could just be a kid who got a good enough grade on a test to get into a top-notch school. Someone just good enough to have a bit of prestige but not too much so that he had a spotlight trained on him for his whole life. Of course, that wasn’t to say he didn’t have admiration for the Ultimates- he did! He just didn’t envy their fame in the way that many others did. Given that the two departments were entirely separate campuses, Hinata had never actually gotten a chance to meet any of them and he didn’t have any kind of personal opinion on them as people; even if he did, it would be impossible to imagine that such visibility and expectation didn’t take a toll them. So, in the end, he was content with being (relatively) normal.

Of course, though, that all changed a mere month into his first year.

It had all happened rather quickly, to be honest. A meeting with a counselor, and later even the headmaster, flashed by, until suddenly he was standing outside the cafeteria with a teacher. Hinata had just been floating through all of the talks before this, but the whole situation became very real as he stared at the doors in front of him. Soon, he would meet the student he was to spend almost the whole school day with for the foreseeable future.

At first, he thought the kid must be pretty messed up if he needed someone to stay with him at basically all times. Then he felt bad, because it was probably that kind of thinking that stopped him from making friends. But no amount of empathy and open-mindedness could stop him from being a bit nervous about this whole thing. What if the guy was too much for him? What if something went wrong? What if-

"Hinata? Are you ready?"

The question grounded him, and he nodded without thinking. Before he knew it, he was walking through the sparsely-crowded cafeteria. Apparently, there were only 36 Ultimates studying here at a time, so the emptiness wasn't too weird. Hinata was led to a far corner of the seating area, the concentration of students dwindling down until there was basically only one person nearby. "I'll let you two take care of introductions yourselves," the teacher turned back to the reserve student, "and remember, if you need anything, feel free to let someone know." And like that, she was gone. 

The first thing that stuck out about the stranger was his hair. It was ghost-white near the roots, with only tinges of pink towards the tips. His skin was similarly pale, and he looked really thin - like, unhealthily so. His loose clothes looked almost too big from the way they hung off of him and offered no insight into the person Hinata would be working with. Despite only being a few feet away, the stranger had yet to look up. Finally, after the silence overstayed its welcome, he started to approach.

"Hello?"

If he didn't know better, he would have thought the kid must have been waiting for him to say something, because he had snapped up to greet Hinata before he even finished the word. The pale boy wore a friendly smile, and spoke with a disarming sort of sincerity. "Oh, hello! Are you the reserve student that'll be with me?"

 _Did he already know?_ "Uh- Yeah? My name's Hinata Hajime, you?"

"Komaeda Nagito, a pleasure to meet you!" Now standing, his figure was a bit more clear. He was just as thin as he looked before, and the rest of him had a similar air of fragility. Most shockingly though, he was _tall_. Like, really tall. Hinata wasn't exactly short, but he could feel himself looking up to meet the other's gaze. "I'm really sorry if any of this is inconvenient for you" he continued, "I know it must not be easy to completely change your schedule, especially for someone as lowly as me." _Huh?_ Realizing that they were still standing, Komaeda sat and patted the spot beside him as an invitation. Once they were both seated, he tried to keep the conversation going.

"So did they tell you much about me?"

"Not really, I think they were going to let you tell me about yourself in case I backed out before we met." Hinata hadn't considered his words before speaking, and he worried for a moment that the notion he might have backed out could cause a problem; He'd really have to try and get better about that. Thankfully, the other boy ignored it, and simply kept going.

"Well in that case, I guess you at least want to know my talent. I'm not sure what they said if you don't know that, since it is the reason you're here now." _It was?_ "I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student! They must have told you that you were going to be a control, right?" He was completely lost now. That was definitely not what he was told, but maybe this was the lie used so Komaeda wouldn't know the real reason someone had to follow him around. "Since everyone else in my class has some incredible talent, then it wouldn't be accurate to judge my own abilities and fortune against them. So, the school decided to bring you from the reserve department!" Even if he didn't know why Hinata was really here, at least he seemed nice. Actually, now that he thought about it, why would this kid even need him around? After all, the only off-putting thing was his looks, but those weren't exactly bad - just unusual. Plus, aren't there literal serial killers and assassins who have gone here? What makes him so different?

As his companion started picking at his food again, Hinata decided to start trying to break the ice. "So, are liking it here?" He felt like everything he said was so forced, especially since the other seemingly had no trouble talking. _What next? 'Oh, how about your favourite color? Maybe a round of 20 questions while we're already here?'_

"It's pretty nice, all of the teachers seem fine and the dorms are really cozy. Then again, maybe I just have low standards."

"What about the students? It's only been a month, but has anyone really stood out?"

"They're all incredible! It's such an honor to get to see them thrive and grow, I still can barely believe that I get to share the same school with them - let alone the same class!" That was... unexpected. Admittedly, that did technically answer the question, but in the most unexpected way possible. It sounds more like the gushing of an excitable fanboy then a student speaking about his peers. 

"You mean because of the whole talent thing? It's cool and all, but you're just as much of an Ultimate than the rest of them."

And at that, he laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, Hinata! I might go here, but I'm _nothing_ compared to them!" Komaeda said it so simply, like it was obvious. "I'm really not even worth the space I take up here, to be honest. I tried to tell the school that - that I don't deserve to go here with all of these utterly phenomenal people - but they insisted that they wanted me." His tone shifted from almost amused to haphazard curiosity. "Do you admire hope? I mean, you went so far as to enter the reserve course, so I can only assume so, but that could also be for a ton of other reasons." His gaze drifted off for a moment, as if he was pondering this, but he wasn't distracted long. It took a moment for Hinata to realize that he was actually supposed to answer.

"Well- I mean- yeah? Of course I admire hope, it's... good?" _Poetic_. 

The incredibly lack-luster response was validated only with a slight smile and he responded with the patience that one gives to a struggling child. "That's understandable. I imagine that's what most think. But I see it as even more. Hope is a force, like luck. It is has the power to change lives, and even the world! The students here," he flourished a hand out towards the rest of the cafeteria (which was noticeably more empty than before), "represent the people that have the ability to drive that hope. People like you and me? The most we could wish for is to be a single stepping stone towards their full potential."

"Um- Komaeda?"

"Hm?" 

"It's almost 8:30."

"Oh! I guess we should get going then?" He casually picked up his tray and started walking away. Like nothing happened. Like he hadn't just gone on that weird tangent about hope. _What just happened?_ Hinata rushed to catch up, and they both entered homeroom a few stressful moments later. Or at least stressful for him, as Komaeda seemed perfectly content meandering down the halls. 

This was definitely going to be an experience, then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final note: Is Komaeda exactly 1 cm/in taller than Hinata? yes. Does that matter to me? absolutely not.


	2. Get Well Soon (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata finds out about Komaeda's health issues, and they become even bigger issues in a twist of fate (will be continued next chapter).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick preface- a lot of death talk in this one, probably the next one too.

"Hey Hinata, sorry I was late!"

It was a few weeks into the arrangement, and it felt like they were really reaching a rhythm. He was largely able to catch Komaeda before his friend started getting into more uncomfortable ramblings about "hope", and the boy was nice enough that they had no real trouble getting along otherwise. The other students in their class (not that it was really his in the first place) were pretty friendly, though by being around Komaeda he found himself just as disconnected from them. But, in the end, he found himself looking forward to seeing the Ultimate each morning. As selfish as it was, he had never really had many friends before this so Hinata was happy to have someone who wouldn't just drift away to other, cooler people.

"No problem, and I already told you that 'Hajime' is fine."

"Oh, that's right, sorry Hajime! I'll try to do better!" His tray slipped out of his hands as he sat down, clattering unceremoniously- but thankfully not spilling anything.

"That's not- whatever." What no one had told him was how often Komaeda would be showing up half-way through the day. There had to be a good reason - it can't be easy to get away with skipping class in a school like Hope's Peak - but he didn't want to pry, so he had just never asked about it. 

"So did I miss much? I think I heard that we were starting something new in math."

"Eh, just something about differentiation. You'll probably be fine if you catch up tomorrow." Then again, wouldn't a friend usually ask about something like that? Or would the friend mention why they were out without having to be asked at all? Silence settled between them for a moment, until Hinata finally got up the nerve to speak up. "Hey, if you don't mind me asking, what's up? With, like, the whole missing school thing, I mean."

"No worries, I don't mind! I just have to go to the doctor a lot sometimes, since they have to do a bunch of tests on me and need constant follow-ups. It's really quite a pain, since I have to miss so much school, but there's no real way around it." He says it with such nonchalance, Hinata almost moves on without realizing how concerning that is.

"Wait- seriously? Are you sick or something?"

"Kind of? I've been officially diagnosed with lymphoma, and they seem to be leaning towards dementia too. It's really no big deal though!"

 _'No big deal'? You have literal_ cancer _, how is that no big deal?_ "Um, are you... ok?" _No, obviously not, having cancer and dementia makes a person pretty not ok, dumbass!_

"Actually, I'd say I am! This isn't ideal, but at the moment it's mostly painless and so I just have to worry about forgetting stuff or catching pneumonia." Komaeda took a few bites of food as the other processed the giant wave of information. Hinata was almost ready to speak again when the final blow came. "The whole 'year left to live' thing is a bit of a downer, though."

_The what...?_

"A- a year?" He swore everything stopped then, all he knew in that moment was the pale, sickly-thin boy next to him that would apparently be dead in a year. The one who just kept eating after that absolute bombshell, who said it so haphazardly as if this wasn't world-shattering. 

Said boy seemed to finally notice the dawning horror on Hinata's face, and scrambled to try to help. But this was Komaeda, so the help wasn't really all that helpful. 

"I mean- that's just an estimate! They also said I would be much worse by now, so they could be wrong! Plus, they aren't entirely sure what kind of lymphoma yet, so once they know they might be able to fix it! It's supposed to be progressing really fast, and I'm already at a late stage, but I could be fine! And- and the dementia is just a guess right now, so it could be nothing!"

Hinata felt like he might cry. Or scream. Or do something very stupid. He had never had to deal with anything like this before, and of course it came up not even a full month into knowing this kid. This all didn't even feel real, it was all just way too much. "So, you mean in a year... you might-"

"Probably not! For someone else, their chances would be low, but I'm lucky!" He forced out a laugh; unlike his usual airy ones, this more seemed choked out of him. Komaeda looked so desperate, speaking so fast that the words had barely been comprehensible. 

"How- Nagito, how can you- why aren't you worried! You're going to _die_!" The moment he finished the thought, he broke. Hinata could think in abstracts and beat around the bush all he wanted, but this was ultimately about death. When he spoke, though, his friend no longer had that look of pure panic from upsetting someone. Now, he just looked... confused.

This time, his voice was steady as he spoke. "Why would I be worried?"

"Dying! You should be worried about dying! That's terrifying! Even for you, that should scare you!"

"I think you might be projecting, Hajime."

"P-projecting?!" He was suddenly very aware of just how worked up he was. Earlier, Komaeda had been similarly panicked (albeit for an entirely different reason), but now the boy just sat and stared at him with mild curiosity. He gathered himself and took a few deep breaths, trying to match the other's composure. "Are you telling me you really aren't worried _at all_ about the idea of dying?"

"I'm really not. If I'm going to die, what will worrying do to help? If I'm lucky - which I probably will be - it should be painless. In plus, I've been able to help! That's all I could really ask for, since I'm not good for much else than dying." He was even _smiling_ , eyes misty with what could almost be described as pride. Normally, Hinata would stop him before he went too far off the deep end about this; these weren't normal circumstances, though, so he kept quiet about where this would inevitably go. In fact, one could even say his response was meant to encourage him, but any purpose of the like was unintentional (as far as he knew). 

"How will you dying help hope?"

"I mean, my situation is clearly unusual. If they can learn more about any of my conditions - regardless of my survival - that will give hope to those struggling with them now and in the future. I'm sure the autopsy will offer far more information than what they can ethically get now, too. Why should I be so selfish as to assume my happiness and life is more valuable than the hope its loss could provide?" He smiled and picked up his now-empty tray as he stood, signaling that this discussion was over. Hinata was frozen for a moment, in a twisted sort of awe that someone can be so deluded in an ideal that otherwise should've been harmless. Finally, he stood to follow Komaeda.

Not that he really needed to rush, as in that same moment Komaeda collapsed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've also been trying to do research on the symptoms of lymphoma and dementia, and I'm still figuring out what exactly I'm going to do for this fic (I'm basically writing an episode of House over here, if anyone wants my rant abt why his cannon description doesn't make any sense lmk :) ) For now, Komaeda was given an official diagnosis of lymphoma (stage 3B) and there's some speculation on dementia.


	3. Get Well Soon (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Komaeda wakes up, and Hinata just wants to help.

It had been almost 2 full hours since Komaeda collapsed, and Hinata was unsuccessful in trying not to be worried. To make it worse, he was now the only other person in the dorm room. Tsumiki had done what she could to help, but had to go back to class. The teacher that had unlocked his friend's door had to go as well. Souda had stopped by a bit ago to drop off some assignments, but didn't stay long. So, Hinata just awkwardly sat in the room, waiting for something, anything to happen. The longer he was left practically alone, the more anxious he got. Should he even be staying? Maybe after the first hour, it was fine, but now it might be creepy or something to just be watching the other boy lying unconscious before him. It's not like he could do anything, could he?

He gave the rest of the room a quick glance over- for what had to be the third time in the last fifteen minutes. It was mostly bare, with small spots of centralized chaos scattered throughout. Across the bed and all over the desk were dozens of books, many either with bookmarks sticking out or just lying open. Did he really like reading that much? Besides the mess of reading material and occasional cluster of papers, it was rather neat. Since it didn't seem like his friend would be waking up any time soon, he decided to get a better look. 

* * *

The only thing Komaeda could think when he woke up was that it was way too bright. He let his head fall to one side, trying to remember where he was. Of course he knew where he was, but that information was currently out of his mind's reach. A door was open, and a figure looked to be holding something. The lighting was so overwhelming, he had to squint just to keep his eyes open. The figure turned the object over in his hands. Everything clicked.

"...Hajime?"

Startled, the boy stumbled back and dropped the bottle he was holding. Komaeda couldn't help but cringe at the clatter of plastic hitting tile and the thud of the door as Hinata slammed into it. His head hurt so much - actually, everything hurt. _What time was it? Did he fall or something?_ Hinata finally snapped out of his surprise and ran over to his freshly-conscience friend, trying to speak quietly (perhaps to make up for how painfully loud he had just been?). "Are- are you okay? You just collapsed earlier, so some people helped get you here. Is there- do you need anything?" The other only offered a weak smile, before trying (rather pathetically) to sit up. After a few moments of stretching, he spoke.

"I'm fine, could be worse. Could you-," a wave of dizziness interrupted his thought, forcing him to retrace his steps and try again. "Can you look in the top left- no, ri- left! definitely left!- drawer of the desk?" Hinata nodded and rushed over to the aforementioned drawer. "Get anything, I just need to eat something. And you can help yourself if you want anything!" He returned again, now with two bags of pretzels in his hands. They started eating in relative silence, the crinkle of the bags failing to mask the one-sided tension. Komaeda could almost feel the blood rush to his brain as he inhaled the snack. Much better.

Hinata cleared his throat much louder than necessary before speaking. "Oh- uh- sorry for going through your stuff, by the way."

"You went through my stuff? I mean, I don't really mind, it's not like there was anything to hide in here. Though I do hope you didn't leave _just_ pretzels in that drawer."

"In the- oh, yeah, the snacks. You just keep those lying around?"

"I refill it sometimes. It's mainly for times like this where I need to get my energy back for one reason or another."

"Does the whole 'falling down suddenly with no warning' thing happen... a lot?"

Komaeda shrugged, "Depends on what you call a lot."

"More than once a month?"

"That seems like a pretty low bar, Hajime. But, in that case, then it happens all the time." He crushed the empty bag into a ball, and Hinata got up to throw out their trash. "While you're up, could you get me my brush?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you _were_ snooping in the bathroom, weren't you? My hair feels gross, I want to fix it." He got a twisted sort of satisfaction seeing the way his friend looked guilty and rushed to fetch something for him. But that got swept neatly away in an instant - he had no right to feel superior to anyone, even a reserve course student. Especially if that student was specifically chosen to put up with him of all people. Hinata handed him the brush with an awkward stiffness that he completely ignored. "So, find anything interesting?"

"I- I didn't-"

"You already admitted you were looking around, and I saw you in the bathroom. So if you found anything that interested you, I'd love to hear about it." A smile infinitely sweeter than what Hinata felt that he deserved punctuated the statement. Komaeda simply began brushing out his messy hair as his friend floundered for an "acceptable" answer.

"... so, you really like to read, huh?"

"Oh, you noticed! Yes, books are incredible. The stories are just so wonderful, isn't it great to completely submerge yourself into another world? I especially like mysteries, it's so fascinating to experience all of the twists and turns along with the characters." He waited just long enough for Hinata to start to respond, only to cut him off. "It's a shame, though, since my memory's been getting worse. I have to keep restarting every story I try to read nowadays. But the books didn't really matter, right? That's not what stuck out, was it?" The other was about to speak (again), but Komaeda re-positioned himself so that his legs hung over the side of the bed and patted the space beside him. Hinata obliged, fiddling more with his hands now that he couldn't just stuff them in his pockets.

"Do you really, uh, take all of those pills? The ones in the bathroom I mean."

"Oh, those. I figured that's what you were all worked up over." He wasn't even brushing his hair anymore, his hands turning it without intention in his lap. How he could look so calm and unaffected all of the time was a mystery to Hinata. "It's really no big deal. Some I don't even have to take everyday, and as long as I keep them organized I don't have to worry about losing track of what I need to take. To be honest, I don't even remember what it's like to be without them anymore." He let out a raspy giggle, tonally disconnected from the statement he followed it with. "Whether that's from habit or brain disease still isn't for certain."

"Doesn't it ever get to you? And yeah, I know, the whole 'die for hope thing', but doesn't it ever upset you to know that you're slowly dying and you can't do anything about it?"

Komaeda gave this thought. At this point, the other boy wasn't even sure what was more unnerving: hearing twisted logic regurgitated without any thought behind it, or knowing that each word was carefully chosen to convey what his honestly believed. "I suppose," he started, the words seeming to less be said and more unwillingly pulled from his throat, "there's not really anyone else to worry about. I know I can do whatever I want to make the best of what life I have left, so there's no selfish concern. I don't have any family or friends to worry, either, so I don't have to feel like a burden. Yes, having cancer and a degenerative brain disease is inconvenient at best, but I am okay with it." That sordid smile of his returned. "Does that answer your question, Hajime?"

"Uh... sure, whatever." Exauhsted from the emotional labor of the conversation, Hinata got up and started to leave. "You should probably get some rest, so I'll just-"

"Wait!"

He stopped. He counted to five. Finally, he turned, forcing a patient smile. "...Yes?"

"Could you do something for me?"

"What?"

"Can you-," the Ultimate reached over to the desk, grabbing a book, "- read this? Out loud?"

"You... want me... to read... to you." It was almost endearing how wholesome the request was. _Almost_. Komaeda nodded, already getting under into his bed.

"I mean- you don't have to! I'm so sorry, that was a stupid thing to ask, _oh god, I'm really sorry Haji-_ "

"Whatever, don't worry about it. Do I just read until you fall asleep?"

"Yes, that's fine, thank you! You're so nice, you know." Hinata hated the spark of - what, pride? satisfaction? something good, at least - that he got from the comment. He shouldn't be looking for validation from the dying crazy kid. This was stupid.

He started reading, and only got about 3 pages in before he could tell the other was definitely out. Kind of ironic that he had waited all this time to see if Komaeda would wake up just to put him back to bed. He looked more peaceful now, so that was an improvement. The way he was curled around his pillow was almost kind of cute. Hinata smiled -genuinely - as he walked out. 

Wait.

_Wait._

...

_"Cute"!?_


End file.
